Modern Icon: Alexander Girard
Folk art brought worlds of wonder to his 20th-century textile designs, used on everything from wallpaper to throw pillows today
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Alexander Girard has been called the greatest colorist and textile designer of modern time. He began his career as an architect and interior designer in the 1920s. In 1949 he was tapped to design the Detroit Institute of Art's exhibit For Modern Living. He worked at Herman Miller and became involved with the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and his interest in Indian handicraft led to designing the 1955 exhibition Textiles and Ornamental Arts of India there.
One of his major projects included rebranding Braniff International Airlines. His motto was "the end of the plain plane," and he redesigned everything from the playing cards to the gates, planes and lounges. He also brought in fellow textile master Emilio Pucci to design the flight attendant uniforms.
Girard worked at Herman Miller until the 1970s. In 1978 he donated his and his wife's extensive folk art collection to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He passed away in 1993, but his designs will live on for many years to come. Here's a sampling of them.
One of his major projects included rebranding Braniff International Airlines. His motto was "the end of the plain plane," and he redesigned everything from the playing cards to the gates, planes and lounges. He also brought in fellow textile master Emilio Pucci to design the flight attendant uniforms.
Girard worked at Herman Miller until the 1970s. In 1978 he donated his and his wife's extensive folk art collection to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He passed away in 1993, but his designs will live on for many years to come. Here's a sampling of them.
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| Inspired and influenced by folk art, Girard's work kept a sense of playfulness and not taking things too seriously. “I think that I saw [folk art] as a way to recapture all the wonderful enthusiasm and the spirit of discovery that we experience as children but generally lose as we grow older,” he once said. |
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Girard became Herman Miller’s director of design for its textile division in 1952 (he was pals with Charles Eames, who introduced him to George Nelson, who hired him), and he worked at the company until the 1970s. Eames and Girard shared a love of folk art and color, and were both experimenting with bent ply at the same time.
This black and white textile is an "environmental enrichment panel" Girard designed for Herman Miller in 1971. It was one of the last of his 300+ designs for the company, and you can still find vintage versions of it today. You can also buy a smaller version on plywood.
This black and white textile is an "environmental enrichment panel" Girard designed for Herman Miller in 1971. It was one of the last of his 300+ designs for the company, and you can still find vintage versions of it today. You can also buy a smaller version on plywood.
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Surprisingly, Girard was one of the lesser-known greats at Herman Miller. He may be more popular today than ever, especially since Todd Oldham's latest giant graphic design lover's must-have is this megabook that pays tribute to Girard's work.
by Joel Snayd
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Girard's designs pop up everywhere, from vintage panels to wallpaper, from throw pillows to notebooks. Recently we've seen Girard's designs on FLOR tiles, Kate Spade bags, Urban Outfitters pillows and Vitra dolls, just to name a few. This room sports his Alphabet wallpaper, which is made by Maharam in partnership with Herman Miller.
by Jenny Mitchell
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Girard believed in keeping the fun and wonder he saw in folk art in his own designs. He said “the hope for good design lies in those designers who believe in what they do, and who will only do what they believe. ... Contrary to hearsay, it is possible to make a living that way.”
This cheerful pillow with a Girard sun on it brightens up blogger and retro-style aficionado Jenny Mitchell's bench.
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This cheerful pillow with a Girard sun on it brightens up blogger and retro-style aficionado Jenny Mitchell's bench.
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According to the Herman Miller website, "Girard saw his job simply as making life a little better through fabrics." The womb chair on the right side of this photo is covered in a well-known Girard quatrefoil fabric, currently available via Maharam. It's fun to see that people who choose Girard designs carry on his desire to see more playfulness in design. I think he would have liked this room very much.
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In 1959, Girard was brought in to decorate the La Fonda del Sol restaurant in New York. He designed everything from the menus to the matchbooks, including tiles, murals and even the uniforms. These designs have become some of his most recognizable work. There was one exception: Girard brought in Charles and Ray Eames to design the La Fonda chairs.
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| This block puzzle (available May 2012) captures that childlike playfulness Girard wanted to give people of all ages. |
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An architectural graphic print is fun to throw into the pillow mix.
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This snake design has powerful geometry that combines a spiral with diamonds. The icing on the cake is the sunny yellow pop of color.
by Jonathan Adler
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It's no surprise that Jonathan Adler's well-trained eye was caught by Girard's graphics. This wallpaper is available at jonathanadler.com.
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Girard also designed furniture, including this coffee table. The part with the angle can face the seating or face away from it, depending on your mood.
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This iconic black and white print has been often imitated. Its classic modern appeal never goes out of style.
More:
Words to Live By: A Little Text for Your Wall
The Details: Using Typography in Your Design
Still Going Warholian at Home
More:
Words to Live By: A Little Text for Your Wall
The Details: Using Typography in Your Design
Still Going Warholian at Home
Ideabook updated on Feb. 22, 2012.
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nmharleyrider, Santa Fe is one of the few American spots on my list I've never visited, and when I found out about the collection researching this article it bumped up to number one. I am a huge folk art fan and collector - I read that Girard's collection had over 100,000 pieces!